My broody lady

Lyndzie

Songster
Jul 31, 2020
103
152
123
Indianapolis, IN USA
My bantam black Cochin Sunflower is broody again. Love the little lady, but holy moly! I have no desire to lock her in a cage for a couple days. She is currently keeping a couple fake eggs nice and toasty. I was planning on getting her some fertile eggs this spring, but right now is not the best timing. Seeing how broody is her default setting, I’d like to know how to best care for her in the future without hatching out a million chicks. Does she need anything? How long will this go on, without her eggs hatching?

(Honestly, at this point her egg production for the year is going to be around 60 because all she does is hatch eggs. Good thing she’s so stinking cute...)
 
My bantam black Cochin Sunflower is broody again. Love the little lady, but holy moly! I have no desire to lock her in a cage for a couple days. She is currently keeping a couple fake eggs nice and toasty. I was planning on getting her some fertile eggs this spring, but right now is not the best timing. Seeing how broody is her default setting, I’d like to know how to best care for her in the future without hatching out a million chicks. Does she need anything? How long will this go on, without her eggs hatching? I remember as a teen (now middle 60s and know better) of two bantam hens that started brooding in the early spring and were still brooding in the Fall; 5 months straight and never did hatch chicks.

At the rare times that I do not want a lot of chicks I let hens brood one or two eggs and raise the chicks-birth control! My bantams are rather costly and to break them of broodiness simply means more eggs and a another broody attempt in a matter of weeks when it's not wanted-better to let them use the time to raise a single chick
. An addition of one or two chicks hardly matters in most flocks.


(Honestly, at this point her egg production for the year is going to be around 60 because all she does is hatch eggs. Good thing she’s so stinking cute...)
[/QUOTE]
My flock is serama and phoenix bantams and usually I have a waiting list for chicks so broodiness is encouraged as I do not like using the incubator.
 
My bantam black Cochin Sunflower is broody again. Love the little lady, but holy moly! I have no desire to lock her in a cage for a couple days. She is currently keeping a couple fake eggs nice and toasty. I was planning on getting her some fertile eggs this spring, but right now is not the best timing. Seeing how broody is her default setting, I’d like to know how to best care for her in the future without hatching out a million chicks. Does she need anything? How long will this go on, without her eggs hatching? I remember as a teen (now middle 60s and know better) of two bantam hens that started brooding in the early spring and were still brooding in the Fall; 5 months straight and never did hatch chicks.

At the rare times that I do not want a lot of chicks I let hens brood one or two eggs and raise the chicks-birth control! My bantams are rather costly and to break them of broodiness simply means more eggs and a another broody attempt in a matter of weeks when it's not wanted-better to let them use the time to raise a single chick
. An addition of one or two chicks hardly matters in most flocks.


(Honestly, at this point her egg production for the year is going to be around 60 because all she does is hatch eggs. Good thing she’s so stinking cute...)
My flock is serama and phoenix bantams and usually I have a waiting list for chicks so broodiness is encouraged as I do not like using the incubator.
[/QUOTE]
Thank you! This is exactly what I was thinking. I started saving her eggs because I had a feeling she was about to go broody, so I can give those to her and give her something to do.

Is two eggs ok? I was wondering is she raised a solitary chick that would be ok, but we’re really happy with the number of chickens we have now (currently have 9 in the city, and only one is laying, LOL).
 
Is two eggs ok? I was wondering is she raised a solitary chick that would be ok, but we’re really happy with the number of chickens we have now (currently have 9 in the city, and only one is laying
A single chick can be a real problem once mama weans them. BTDT, not fun.
If you don't want more chicks, just break her in a crate.
 
Is two eggs ok? I was wondering is she raised a solitary chick that would be ok, but we’re really happy with the number of chickens we have now (currently have 9 in the city, and only one is laying, LOL).
I've often had hens raise a single chick. Once weaned provide safe places where the chick can retreat to but not the bigger birds.
 

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